João Lourenço

President of Angola

5 March 1954 Lobito, Angola

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Incumbent

Angolan president For the footballer, see João Lourenço (footballer). In this Portuguese name, the first or maternal family name is Gonçalves and the second or paternal family name is Lourenço. João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, GColIH (born 5 March 1954) is an Angolan politician who has served as President of Angola since 26 September 2017. Previously, he was Minister of Defence from 2014 to 2017. In September 2018 he became the Chairman of the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), the ruling party. He was the party's Secretary-General from 1998 to 2003. João Lourenço was designated in December 2016 to occupy the party's number one position in the August 2017 legislative election. In terms of the 2010 constitution, "the individual heading the national list of the political party or coalition of political parties which receives the most votes in general elections... shall be elected President of the Republic and Head of the Executive" (Article 109). As the MPLA won a majority of 150 seats, Lourenço automatically became President of Angola, succeeding José Eduardo dos Santos, who had been in power for 38 years. Lourenço was officially sworn into office on 26 September 2017.